Bearing



F. L. HAUSHALTER 2,215,523

BEARING original Filed oct. y.29, 193e Patented Sept. 24, 1940 l UNITED .STATES PATENT oFFica 2.215,52?. BEARING L. Haushalter, Akron, Ohio, assignor to 'Die l B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a'

p corporation of. New York original application october as, v1936, serial No.

Divided and this application December 13, 1939, Serial No. 308,993

Claims.

This invention relates to rubber bearings or the like, especially water-lubricated bearings, and this application is `a division of my copending application Serial No. 108,243 led October 29,

In the manufacture of articles comprising4 hesion results when pressure is applied in thedirection normal to the metal surface. In the manufacture of water-'lubricated rubber bearings andsimilararticles wherein a rubber lining is Amolded in a sleeve, it has been customa to cement the -rubberlining, usually in the form of a hollow cylinder, within the metal sleeve and then toinsert a mandrel for molding' the interior .surface `-ofithe rubber, applying pressure axially of the sleeve to form the rubber between the Isleeve and the mandrel. This method has been expensive and. only partially satisfactory as difficulty in obtaining adhesion between the rubber and sleeve and complete lling of the space between the sleeve and the mandrel has been encountered. Entrapment dfV air has also occurred with this. method. The diiculties of increases as the length of the bearing is increased.

It has also been observed that after vulcanization of the rubber the rubber shrinksVl consider' ably more than the metal sleeve in cooling, thereby placing the rubber under a certain amount of tension. Itis lmown/that rubber under tension has less resistance to abrasion than rubber not under tension. When the rubber is vulcanized to the inner surface of a circumferentially continuous shell of metal, the shell resists the shrinking of the rubber except as to the relatively small A amount permitted by shrinkage of the metal and undesirable tension in the rubber is often produced, and sometimes a weak union of rubberto metal results. l

` ber lined bearing in its preferred forxn.

' of a shaft.

.tion showing a completed bearing when molded The principal objects of this invention areto' (ci. aos-23s) bearing is mounted in its housing the sleeve structure is held against outward expansion and preferably inwardly compressed, the rubber-like material assisting to supply'i'esilient pressure, and at the same time concentric shaft contacting 5; portions of the lining are provided.

Other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1. is a longitudinal vertical cross-section` of a mold used in practicing the method of the invention, a rubber lined bearing being shown' 'inplace in the mold, part of thebearing being broken away and part shown in section, and `the pres's platesbetween which the mold is confined being conventionally indicated.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken `on line 2--2 of Fig. l. y

Fig. 3 is a perspective vicw'of a completed rub- Fig. 4 is a crossf-sectionalview showing a housing enclosing the bearing of Fig. 3 for support Fig. 5wis a cross-sectional view of a inodiiica-r in oval shape. y l

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modiiied form of the invention showing the metal sleeve made of asingle piece of metal. molding such articles by axially applied pressure Referring to the drawing:

` The invention contemplates the assembly and molding of a rubber lining to a metal sleeve structure by radially applied pressure and the simultaneous formation of the'interior surface of vthe rubber'linin'g. In the preferredform of the invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, the

metal sleeve is provided in two parts IU, Il which are semi-cylindrical or nearly so, whereas the rubber lining l2 is molded in integral form and preferably is formed with longitudinally extending lands I3 separated by lubrication channels or grooves i4, to provide a. water-lubricated bearing. The shape of the lands is preferably such as to induce maintenance of a iilm of lubricant and to this end the lands preferably are formed with faces which are convex, as taught by the Annis Patent No. 1,797,223. y i

'I'he metal sleeve sections are of arcuate shape) and may be formed from metal tubing although greater economy may be practiced byforming the sections from at sheet metal by a stamping process. These metal parts may be made ofa suitable rubberfadherent metal or they may be formed of another metal, such-as steel, and then coated, as by electro-deposition, with a coating o5 thereto are then placed in a suitable mold suchy of rubber-adherent metal, or other suitable bonding material, such as a coating of polymerized rubber isomer.

The rubber composition for forming the lining I2 is prepared inunvulcanized sheet form and preferably is cemented to the inner face of each metal p'art. Where two or more metal parts are used a corresponding number of pieces of rubber are cemented to their inner faces. The metal parts with the rubber material attached as that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The mold comprises a pair of `mold plates I 5, I6 formed with mating mold cavities adapted to support the metal shell parts I0, II, anda core Il adapted to be seated in reduced extensions of the mold cavities and to be held in place by a .dowel I8. Overflow cavities I9, 20 are provided along the side margins of the metal parts to receive any excess rubber material, and the mold is preferably provided with dowels 2I, 22 for engaging apertures, such as `23, in the metal parts for properly locating such parts with respect to the overflow cavities.I

In molding the article, the metal parts carrying the rubber material are placed in the respective mold cavities and the mold plates are assembled about the core. enough rubber composition to ll the space is provided so that as -the mold is closed, the excess rubber is squeezed out between the margins of the metal parts intothe overflow cavities. Layers of rubber 25, 25 will'\be left between the partl 4the tension on the rubber resulting from shrink- 'age/.1 This relief of tension makes for a stronger bond'of the rubberto the metal by thwarting a pulling-away of the rubber from the lmetal while' the material is yet soft from the heat,

In use, the bearing of Fig. 3 is mounted in a housing such as 26 of Fig. 4 for supporting a rotating shaft 2l. The bearing may have a forcet in the housing and for this the rubber cushions I9 and 20 act as springs resiliently maintaining the frictional engagement of the sleeve parts with the housing. If' desired, suitable means such as the set screw 28, may be added to maintain the bearing in a xed position in the housing.

The annular form of the rubber is further advantageous in that it holds the parts together as a unit so that handling and accurate installation of the bearings are facilitated.

If desired, the bearing may be molded with the shell parts spaced apart in non-circular relation,

as by providing shims between the mold sections, and a mandrel of generally oval, rather than circular form, may be used to provide a bearing of the form of Fig. 5, in which the metal parts are considerably separated 'at 219 and 30. Owing to these 'relativelyrwide gaps, the overflow cavi- `ties in the mold are preferablydispensed with in this embodiment-to assure good molding pressure. The rubber at the gaps 29 and 30 is effec- Slightly more than tive during the shrinkage following the molding I operation to relieve tension in the rubber very considerably by permitting lthe, metal parts to yield toward each other considerably during the shrinking. In the final installation the rubber betweenthe shell margins provides considerable resilience for urging the shells against the heusing and holding the bearing tightly fitted therein.

Substantial inward bulging of the rubber at the knife cuts through the rubber at the margins of Y the metal parts, to provide bearings of less than a complete circle in circumferential extent, each comprising a segment having a rubber facing which may be formed with one or more bearing'l lands. The notches 24, 24, facilitate the cutting operations by permitting prying'tools to be inserted for separating the metal parts to give access to the rubber for the cutting.

It is al'so possible, according to theinvention, to use a metal sleeve of integral construction havinga single longitudinal slit 3| as shownv in Fig. 6.

By forming the metal parts with a slit of appreciable gap, which preferably will be closed upon compressing the bearing by pressure of the mold, y

suflicient room may be provided to permit a -tubular rubber lining to be placed in the metal sleeve and a mandrel-t0 be inserted therethrough without axial deformation of the rubber. Upon closing the sleeve in the mold, the rubber will be molded under radial compression and excess rubber will be forced into the slit 3 I. While the degree of yielding for the relief of -tension on the rubber isnot so great in this embodiment as in the constructions wherein separate and spaced-apart Isections are used the metal may be formed inexl pensively from sheet metal, if desired, and the vbearing will be satisfactory for many uses.

I claim: f 1. A bearing lined with rubber-like material,

` said Ybearing comprising a circumferentially discontinuous sleeve structure, a continuously annular `inner layer of rubber-like material within said sleeve structure and presenting a bearing surface of the rubber-like material, and means holding the, discontinuous sleeve structure against outward expansion.

2. AA bearing comprising a circumferentially discontinuous sleeve structure and a continuously `annular lining there-for of rubber-like material presenting an inner bearing surface of the rubber` like material, the bearing being adapted to be mounted in an enclosing structure to hold said sleeve structureI against ,outward expansion.

3. A rubber-lined shaft bearing comprising a circumferentially discontinuous sleeve structure, a continuously annular body'- of rubber within said structure having longitudinally-extending shaft-contacting lands and intermediate grooves another.

face formed with longitudinally-extending'shatt-V enclosed continuously annular body oi? rubber contacting lands and intermediate grooves, the adhered to the sleeve structure and having a region of the rubber ai; the sleeve margins being4 portion thereof extending between adjacent mar. grooved and means supporting the assembly with gins of the sleeve portions, effective to cushion the sleeve portions held pressed toward one movement of said margins toward one another '5 uponlmounting the bearing in'a housing in a 5. Avcushioned bearing comprising a oircumradially compressed condition. ferentially discontinuous sleeve structure and an /FRED L. HAUSHAL'IER. 

